ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ Laptop

Let’s take a look at the review how well the ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ has succeeded!

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Design and Appearance

If you’re looking for a more flashy notebook then the ASUS VivoBook S15 is the place to be. ASUS uses a blue base color with many golden accents. I must admit in the photos of Asus I was not sure what to think of this color combination, but in practice, the Gray/Gold combination is a bit less gaudy and much more subtle.

Especially the Gray is much darker in practice and sometimes seems almost black, which depends very much on the light. Yes, the ASUS VivoBook S15 is in our analisis is a bit more colorful in color, but it’s also not overly gaudy. If you are not sure about the color, do not worry too much. In practice that fits!

The next thing that probably stands out for the interesting coloring is the size of the notebook. Compared to the VivoBook S15 is even a Dell XPS 13 looks rather clunky and big. The VivoBook is extremely slim and compact, you can put this without problems in the category “ultra portable”. ASUS specifies the thickness of just 11.5mm (Apple MacBook Air – 17mm, MacBook – 13.1mm, Dell XPS 13 – 15mm) and the weight of 1500g.

However, ASUS does not waive premium materials. The housing is made entirely of an aluminum-magnesium alloy and the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 4.

The notebook feels extremely noble and high quality even in the hand! ASUS definitely does not have to hide behind Apple and Co.

However, the top of the lid, which is a brushed surface, is an absolute fingerprint magnet! Here I am also afraid that scratches might show up in a slightly rougher use. ASUS seems to be aware of this problem, however and includes a small case for the VivoBook S15 included. This is even a slightly higher quality bag, which corresponds in color to the notebook.

I do not have any criticisms or complaints about haptic, the display hinge can even be opened with one hand!

Of course, the slimming mania also has its disadvantages. If you expect many ports on the VivoBook S15, you will be surprised!

Like the Apple MacBook, the VivoBook S15 has a USB Type-C port, a headphone output, HDMI port, and SD Card Slot! Also, there is 1 x USB 3.0 and 2 x USB 2.0.

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Display

The ASUS VivoBook S15 specs a 15.6 inch Full HD display. Full HD on 15.6 inches results in a more than sufficiently sharp picture and in general the display of the ASUS VivoBook S15 is more than satisfactory!

This is, as you can expect at a four-digit price to a high-quality IPS panel.

Colors are clear and bright, which is also somewhat supported by the glossy panel, contrasts are good and the black point is neat for an IPS panel.

According to my measurements, the display can represent 97% of the sRGB color space and 75% of the AdobeRGB color space.

The maximum brightness is a good 251cd/m². This is not super bright but sufficient to be able to see something on the screen even in the sunshine.

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Hardware and Performance

The ASUS VivoBook S15 is currently available with Intel Core i5-8250U. For this test I have the version with i5, on this refer from here on the readings. Let’s start with a few benchmarks to get a rough idea of what the Intel Core i5-8250U can do.

The values look pretty neat! The Intel Core i5-8250U delivers approximately 15-20% more power than the i5-7200U. Of course, this is still a “U” processor, so an ultra-low voltage model.

Who makes a lot of video editing, for example, certainly with a larger notebook and a processor advise, which is not trimmed primarily on energy efficiency. However, currently, it is not much faster in such a compact notebook than with the Intel Core i5-8250U.

What about the graphics card? Of course, the ASUS VivoBook S15 has only the NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, which is anything but afloat. If you are looking for a laptop to play with, you are definitely wrong! Videos, even 4K material, will play smoothly. Even some older less powerful games like League of Legends are definitely on the VivoBook S15.

However, I was very surprised by ASUS cooling solution for the VivoBook S15. Normally, in such notebooks, there is always some thermal throttling, but not with the VivoBook!

Even under absolute full load, the Intel Core i5-8250U reaches just 74 degrees on its hottest core. 74 degrees may sound a lot for one or the other, but it is not! Such processors can easily handle 90 degrees +, and in many notebooks like the Dell XPS 2-in-1, XPS 13, Apple MacBook Pro, and so on, they can handle such high temperatures.

And no ASUS has not clocked down the i5 or something similar, the processor runs at a good 1.6GHz. If there is only a temporary load or only on a core up to 3.0GHz can be achieved.

The notebook does not sound like a jet, on the contrary. When idling, the VivoBook S15 is completely quiet and the fan does not turn. The fan starts with a medium load but is still very quiet. Even under full load, the notebook remains relatively quiet. Of course, the fan is then audible, but still in a very tolerable frame.

Maybe the FSD was a bit disappointing. ASUS relies on a SATA M.2 SSD, which is quite fast with 550MB/s reading and writing 500MB/s, but also not as impressive as an NVME SSD.

Does this make a difference in practice? No not at all, it’s just to get the feeling of having a super fast SSD. Therefore, the SATA SSD is okay, but it would certainly have gone even more. Incidentally, the SSD can be upgraded! Given if synonymous with a PCIe NVME SSD!

The built-in WLAN module managed in my test in combination with the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 wireless router around 60MB/s to a local NAS.

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Keyboard and Trackpad

A good keyboard and a good trackpad are essential in a notebook, especially if it is like the ASUS VivoBook S15 aimed at students, bloggers or in general to a businessman/businesswoman.

Let’s start with the base. The keyboard has an absolute standard QWERTZ layout. The F keys are as usual double-occupied with system functions such as display brightness, etc., also there is a “Fn” key next to the controller.

Apart from that, everything is as you would expect for a German keyboard, exemplary ASUS!

The keys have, however, as it is now normal with super flat notebooks, a fairly shallow pressure point. This requires some getting used to at the beginning, especially since the keys are relatively fixed and therefore require a little more force to push. As a result, the keyboard also feels nice and crisp.

An Apple MacBook, for example, has even less “travel distance” on its keys, so this is fine with the ASUS VivoBook S15.

I’m used to typing a Dell XPS 13 and at first, there was something on the ASUS VivoBook S15 that was “different” on the keyboard and I could not quite name it. Of course, I do not mean the pressure point.

You could now say “ah the keyboard is smaller” but just the opposite is the case. The keyboard of the ASUS VivoBook S15 is quite big for a 15.6-inch notebook! Even bigger than the Dell XPS 15.

After a short settling-in period I was able to reach my normal typing speed on the ASUS VivoBook S15 without problems. So if you do not mind the fairly flat pressure point of the keys, the notebook is also recommended for frequent users!

As is the case with a high-end notebook, the ASUS ZenBook 3 has a keyboard backlight, which is not super bright but is perfect for evenings.

What about the trackpad? Very good! The trackpad of the VivoBook S15 is extremely accurate and reliable. Whether it is about normal tracking or multi-touch gestures. The surface is very pleasant, I think.

In short, the trackpad is one of the best that I have ever seen on a Windows notebook.

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Speaker

ASUS has made a great deal of effort with the speakers. The VivoBook S15 in analisis has four speakers at once. Two of them are above the keyboard and two in front under the notebook.

Accordingly, one could assume that the ASUS VivoBook S15 has a hammer sound?!

For his possibilities yes! Good speakers take up a lot of space and there’s not much in the ASUS VivoBook S15. However, the speakers are still not bad at all. These are loud enough (but not super loud) and super clear. In addition, the sound is relatively large and wide through the four speakers, which are distributed on the notebook.

Here and there you also notice that some bass comes from the ASUS VivoBook S15. Of course, the bass is very relative here, but I have heard much worse in larger notebooks.

Therefore for here and there what music when working or a movie fits the bid definitely!

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Software

ASUS naturally relies on the Windows 10 Home for the ASUS VivoBook S15 in our test. Unfortunately, ASUS exaggerates a bit with the preinstalled software. In addition to the usual trial version of Microsoft Office and the annoying Mcafee antivirus are also somewhat unusual programs to find.

If you buy the ASUS VivoBook S15, first sort out the programs you do not need, they’ll probably be some!

Interestingly, the ASUS VivoBook S15 in the review does not have a “control center” where you can set advanced configurations for fans, etc. I would have expected at ASUS with such a “master” software.

Only for the monitor and its configuration, there is a special ASUS application.

By the way, with my 512GB model, around 440GB of memory was still available and 128GB of SSD.

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Battery

The ASUS VivoBook S15 has a 42Wh strong battery. The battery is of course extremely important in an ultrabook, so how long does it last?

Of course, this question depends heavily on usage. In normal operation, so web surfing, Office, etc. at an “indoor” display brightness, I reached about 6-7 hours of use.

A similar result I could synonymous with video streaming reach (about 5-6 hours). Of course, you can empty the notebook in no time at all. For example, if you edit and export a video, the battery lasts just under 2 hours. Where 2 hours at a full load application are even quite good!

In general, the battery life of the ASUS VivoBook S15 is good, but the notebook is not a “battery miracle”.

Now, one or the other will come up with the idea “Hey, can I just charge the ASUS VivoBook S15 with a power bank?!”. Good question! The answer is yes!

Yes, you can recharge the ASUS VivoBook S15 via Powerbank, but you need a power bank that supports the USB Power Delivery Standard. In addition, the power bank must be able to deliver 14.5 / 15V and 1.5A. For example, an anchor PowerCore + 26800mAh with Power Delivery works in combination with the ASUS VivoBook S15 and can triple the battery life!

I think it’s very convenient! If you’re on the road for longer, just pack a power bank and you have more than enough energy.

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Conclusions and Reviews

ASUS has succeeded with the VivoBook S15 a really beautiful and extremely high-quality notebook.

Thanks to its extremely compact dimensions and its very low weight, the notebook is particularly suitable for users who place increased value on portable use.

Here the notebook offers a strong battery life, a very good display, and a high performance!

Especially the latter was very convincing in the test! The ASUS VivoBook S15 is one of the few “ultrabooks” that does not fight with temperature problems and therefore does not have thermal throttling.

Of course, the ASUS VivoBook S15 is less suitable for gaming, but for example, for photo editing or a fast video editing “on the go”. Unless of course, you can handle the somewhat limited port selection.

“Restricted” is perhaps an understatement here. ASUS uses the VivoBook S15 exclusively on a USB C port (+ a headphone jack) which of course can do anything with the right adapter.

Nevertheless, for someone who is looking for a super-compact notebook and may also like the slightly more eye-catching look of the VivoBook, it will be hard to find a better notebook outside the Apple Eco System. Maybe a Dell XPS 13, which does not do much to the VivoBook S15, even apart from the larger port variety. The VivoBook S15 offers the better cooling solution and the more compact dimensions.

In short, thumbs up for the ASUS VivoBook S15 can also build great premium notebooks!

ASUS VivoBook S15 S510UQ: Price and Where to buy cheaper?

This is a very attractive laptop ASUS VivoBook S15 and at the moment you can buy at a low and decent price for only $977.69.